Medical conditions such as diabetes require a person afflicted with the condition to regularly self-monitor that person's blood-glucose concentration level. The purpose of monitoring the blood glucose concentration level is to determine the person's blood glucose concentration level and then to take corrective action, based upon whether the level is too high or too low, to bring the level back within a normal range. The failure to take corrective action may have serious medical implications for that person.
One method of monitoring a person's blood glucose level is with a portable testing device. The portable nature of these devices enables users to conveniently test their blood glucose levels at different locations. One type of device utilizes an electrochemical test sensor to harvest and analyze the blood sample. The test sensor typically includes a capillary channel to receive the blood sample and a plurality of electrodes. Some electrochemical test sensor devices have larger capillary channels than are optimally desired. The bigger the capillary channel, the more blood from a person is required to fill the channel. Because drawing blood from a person is unpleasant, it would also be desirable to reduce the size of the capillary channel to require less blood. However, there must be sufficient blood to cover and activate the plurality of electrodes used in an electrochemical test sensor. Thus, there exists a need for an electrochemical test sensor with a smaller capillary channel without sacrificing the accuracy of the analyte concentration determination.